Team Bonding
by Freakkofnaturee
Summary: When the Fire Ferrets have some team bonding, things take a turn for the worse.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer; I own nothing of Legend of Korra.**

* * *

"Camping!"

"Are you serious?"

"Of course! Think about it, what better way to prepare for the pro-bending tournament than some good old team bonding? And what better than camping?"

"Bro, I know you mean well, but wouldn't practicing be better?"

"I know, I know. Practice, practice, practice, and we'll be guaranteed to be ready. But come on, aren't you tired of practicing? All the practices are just leaving me tired and achy, and I'm sure it's not just me who's feeling this way. A relaxing day or two camping would help revive us and calm us before the big match."

After some thought, Korra spoke up. "Actually, this may not be such a bad idea. We're already working well with our moves and plays. If we can be in sync out of the arena, maybe some of that will transfer over."

Mako looked between the two, feeling like the only sane person in the room. He sighed. "I guess I can't argue with the Avatar, your logic usually tends to be correct. I guess that means it's a go fire plan."

"Yes!" Bolin did a short celebratory dance. "So since we only have a few days till the tournament, shall we leave for our adventure tomorrow?"

"I don't see why not," Korra said. "The sooner we go, the sooner we can get back and get some more practice in before the match."

"Alright, that sounds good. I guess that's it for today then, we'll see you tomorrow Korra," Mako said. He and Bolin began to make their exit, as Korra made her way out of the gym. Once outside, Korra hopped up on Naga and made her way back to Air Temple Island. On her way there though, her head began to fill with thoughts, worries and doubts took place of the excitement she had felt about the idea. Korra knew they were silly, but she figured a second opinion may help reassure her, and she knew just the person to turn to.

* * *

Once home, Korra sought out Tenzin. As her airbendering instructor, she looked up to him and always wanted to hear his input on things, and right now, she could use some input. As she saw him walking towards the entrance to the Air Temple, she called out for him, "Tenzin!"

He stopped and turned to face the young Avatar. "Yes, Korra?"

"Tenzin, I need some help, something is bothering me."

"Well what is it?"

"Bolin suggested this idea that the Fire Ferrets take a break from practicing and go camping so we can relax and such before the big match. I agreed, thinking it'd be a good way for us to bond as a team and get to be closer, but now that I think about it, I don't know if it would be."

Tenzin motioned for Korra to follow him inside. They went to one of the dining rooms and sat down. Tenzin poured some tea for them both. "Now why do you think it wouldn't be a good idea?"

Korra sighed. "Well, the truth is, I really like Mako. But I kind of feel like Bolin might like me. And I just don't know if this whole camping thing is a good idea, being alone with them for a night or two. What if things are said, what if things get really awkward? What would I do then? I don't want us to lose our closeness, we've been working really well lately, and we need that to do well in the match to win. If we're not comfortable around one another, we won't succeed."

"Well, Korra, one way to get past this is to make things known. Let them know how you feel. The closeness of the team isn't just determined by how good they are in the arena alone. The other factor is how close you are out of it, how much you know about one another and understand one another. As brothers, Bolin and Mako know quite a bit about one another and are very close, but you're the newcomer. A lot of it will fall on you to make yourself known and to gain the true closeness your team needs."

"But I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. Can't I just go and do this without having to get all deep and personal with my feelings and such?"

"I think you know the answer to that one Korra. The guys may not realize or notice it, but if you're feeling strange around them because of these feelings, it'll cloud your judgment and ability to work with the team, which won't help the whole team out. What is so wrong with just coming out and saying the truth? Normally you aren't one to back away from saying what's on your mind."

"I wouldn't, except Mako is with Asami. I mean, what chances do I stand against her? He likes her, not me. It kind of defeats the purpose of saying anything about it to him."

"Well, I leave it up to you. Whether he is with someone or not, it's better to just make things known and move past them then to pent up your feelings. One way or another, sooner or later, they'll come out, whether you want them to or not."

"But Tenzin, I don't know if I ca-"

"You're the Avatar, Korra, you have to be brave and take risks, that's part of it. Now, I'll let you decide what you're going to do. I can't always tell you what you should do, you just have to do what you think is best. Goodnight and I wish you well." With that, Tenzin rose from the table and walked out of the room, leaving Korra alone and more unsure than before. She rose from the table as well and made her way to her room.

She began to pack what few things she'd figured she need for a camping trip. After some thought, she realized she hadn't done much stuff before like camping, let alone doing much with friends. Most of her life had been spent training and learning how to be a good Avatar. Once she was discovered to be the Avatar, she grew up with little free time, and very few friends. Of her few childhood friends, few were her age, and no one really understood what she was going through. She was the only Avatar; no one else was around to explain to her what they really meant. She was alone to figure it out for herself.

As she lay in bed, she let her worries fade. Who knew what would happen, and who cared. Tomorrow was a new day, and she knew she'd figure out what would be the best action to take. So as sleep took over, excitement filled her as she dreamed of the adventures the next day would bring.


	2. Chapter 2

Korra hurried over to the entrance to the pro-bending arena where Mako was standing around, waiting. Once close she hopped off Naga and made the rest of the way there on foot.

"Hey, where's Bolin?" Korra asked, noticing his absence immediately. His was one that was hard to go unnoticed.

"He overslept and is hurrying to get ready as we speak," Mako replied.

Korra nodded. Of course the one who had the idea would be the one running behind. She set her things down next to Naga and looked over at Mako. He was leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked so relaxed, just staring off into space. She looked the direction he was looking but saw nothing. She sighed and turned back to him.

Suddenly, it came to her. Here she was, alone, with Mako, now was the perfect opportunity. Sure, it was right before the trip and could ruin things, but she needed to know for sure. Even though she already knew what the answer probably was, she had to hear it from him to be sure.

"Hey Mako," Korra said. This broke his attention and he fixed it on her.

"Yea?"

"So…ok, this is going to sound crazy, but I have to get it out. I really like you, and I'm sure you don't like me back, I just needed to let you know," Korra got our quickly. She turned from his unchanging gaze to face her polar bear dog companion.

"Oh…uhm…well." Mako sighed. "Korra." She looked up to face him again. "I kind of like you too…"

A hint of hope appeared in her eyes. Could he be serious right now? "Really?"

"Yea, but-" Mako was then cut off by a surprise hug from Asami who snuck up around him.

"Hey honey," she greeted.

"Oh, hey Asami. Where'd you come from?" Mako asked, surprised, having not seen her coming or even really expected her.

"Just a little surprise. I wanted to see you off before you left. I'll miss you while you're gone."

Mako chuckled. "Don't worry, it's only for a short amount of time." He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and one of his dashing smiles afterward.

"Alright. Have fun sweetie," she said. With a quick smile and wave, she walked off, leaving Mako alone once again. This time he was alone. During his exchange with Asami, Korra had walked off with Naga over to a spot a couple of feet from him. She sat on the ground, leaning against a pillar. He stared at her, noticing the distant, somewhat sorrowful expression on her face. He walked over and kneeled down in front of her.

"Hey, why'd you come over here?"

Korra looked up with him, with an almost annoyed expression. "Sorry, I guess I didn't want to interrupt your little exchange with your wonderful girlfriend."

Mako sighed and sat down next to Korra, leaning against the adjacent side of the pillar. "Korra, I know what I said makes no sense considering the circumstances. I don't quite understand it completely myself. I truly do like you, but I like Asami too. I can't just leave her because I don't get what's going on."

Korra continued looking at the sky, not wanting to look at Mako at the moment. "Then why bother telling me that at all and getting my hopes up? Why make me think that there could be something?"

Mako shrugged. "I guess I just figured you'd want to hear the truth."

"You know what, whatever. It doesn't matter now. Let's just get past this so we can get on with this trip."

"You can't just drop it that easily, listen-" Mako started before Bolin came rushing over, still looking kind of dazed and half asleep.

"Hey guys, hope I didn't leave you waiting too long."

"No problem, just enjoying the weather. Couldn't have asked for a more perfect day to go camping," Mako said. As if on cue, a gust of wind swept by, counteracting the heat from the sun. It was stronger though because it managed to unravel Mako's scarf from where it sat around his neck and left it flying off.

Before Mako could even react, Korra was on her feet running after it. When she was close, she waved her arms in a pattern of circles. Channeling the air, she created a breeze of her own, bringing the sacred scarf back to her. She grabbed a hold of it and walked back, returning it to its faithful owner.

"Thanks Korra. I really owe you for that one. I don't know what I'd do if I had lost this scarf." Mako was beyond relieved. Having Korra around wasn't always a bad thing. She could do things like this that most girls, or most anybody, couldn't do. Most people would've let the scarf fly off, but Korra was caring. She had compassion for her friends and helped them out with the little things. Mako made note of this, just another thing to add to the list of reasons why he liked her. Another reason that things were so confusing at the moment.

"No problem," Korra responded. "So you guys ready? I figure we could just ride on Naga out to where ever it is we're going, if you guys don't mind."

Bolin shook his head. "Not at all. Honestly, that's kind of what I was hoping for."

Korra cracked a small smile. She always found it funny how much these guys rely on her sometimes. "Alright, well," she hopped up onto the front of Naga with her stuff. "Get on up."

Since Mako was right next to their ride, he started to get on first right behind Korra. Korra turned for a moment to face him for the first time since she admitted her feelings. "Maybe Bolin should sit behind me, since he probably has a better idea of where exactly we're going."

"Oh, yea, of course. That makes sense." Mako still got on but scooted back, leaving plenty of room for Bolin between the two. Bolin quickly got on, situating his stuff, and then looked forward. "Ok, I figured we'd go to this spot in the woods I came across once when doing a little exploring with Pabu. It's actually a popular place for camping, but I don't know how many people will be out now, what with everything going on in the city. Camping trips seem to dwindle during the time of the pro-bending tournaments."

Korra nodded. "The way this town idolizes the event, I'd believe it. Alright, well, I guess that means we're off." Korra gave Naga a light tap with her feet to get her up and going. With that, the polar bear dog began to move, moving quickly and easily through the streets. The way her companion moved, they'd be there in no time.


	3. Chapter 3

They journeyed through the city, much more careful than the first time. Korra had learned from her mistake of just letting Naga go wherever through the streets of the bustling city. They looked out of place amongst all of the satomobiles, but it didn't really bother her. Once out of the city, they continued into a forest for a short stretch.

"This is it!" Bolin announced. Korra brought Naga to a halt and Bolin immediately jumped off and circled the area. "Yup, this is definitely it."

Mako dismounted from Naga, with Korra following behind. They all brought their stuff down and laid it out in front of them. Between the three of them, they really hadn't brought much. With everybody and everything being off Naga, she walked to a clear area and laid down, preparing for a nap after the run out here. Korra chuckled at her polar bear dog. She acted like such a human at times.

Korra turned her attention from her animal companion to the area around her and then to the two brothers. "So what do we do first?"

"What do you mean? There isn't really a specific thing you do first with camping," Mako replied.

"Wait, have you never been camping, Korra?" Bolin asked, seeming genuinely shocked.

Korra shook her head. "Most of my childhood was spent in the White Lotus complex learning to bend the elements and the ways of being the Avatar."

"Ok, well then we're going to make this the best first camping trip you'll ever experience."

Korra laughed. "That sounds great. But really, what do we do?"

"Well, first, we should gather some wood for a fire and set up the tents. Do you two want to go get the wood?"

Mako and Korra looked at one another and realized this would not be a good idea, to be alone together, stuck in the middle of the woods gathering wood. But they couldn't really tell Bolin no, that would mean explaining what had happened earlier, and neither of them wanted to do that. Korra turned back to Bolin. "Sure, I think we can handle that."

She began to walk in the opposite direction as Mako slowly followed along behind her, eventually catching up to her.

"Korra, I-"

"Don't even bring it up, Mako. It happened, it's out there now, let's just move on from it. You know how I feel, and I know how you feel. There's nothing more to say." She sped up her pace in an attempt to get away from the firebender even though she had no clue where she was going or what exactly she was looking for.

Mako hurried up to her and grabbed her wrist. "No Korra, listen. I never got to explain myself earlier. Yes, I do like Asami, there's no denying that. But I like _you _as well, Korra. As crazy as you drive me and how uncontrollable you can be, I think you're pretty amazing and a great person."

Korra turns to face Mako. If he was going to hold her hostage here and make her listen, then she was going to make him listen as well. "Well, it's good to know that Mako. But guess what? As long as you're with Asami, none of that matters. I know you think it's better for me to know this, but it isn't. It's only getting my hopes up and making me lose focus on what is important, like the Pro-bending Tournament and how to deal with the Equalist threat."

Mako sighs and let's go of Korra's wrist. "I know, and I'm sorry for that. I'm sorry we have to deal with this mess, but we're pretty much stuck with each other until the Tournament is over. "

"Well then, we'll take it step by step. Don't bring it up and I won't bother you with anything having to do with it. Now let's just get this wood and get back to Bolin."

Mako nodded and they walked on in silence, neither saying a word for an awkwardly long time. The only sound was the rustling of the leaves, the birds chirping, and the scrapes of their shoes on the grassy surface below them. They slowly gathered wood, little twigs and branches they found lying on the ground. Once they each had an armful they made their way back to the main campground where Bolin had finished setting up two tents.

"Finally! What took you guys so long? I was just starting to get chilly," Bolin said to the two as they got closer to him. That was when Korra realized that the sun had begun to go down and the cold of night was beginning to set in.

"We just got a little sidetracked, and then a little lost," Korra said, making up stuff before Mako could say anything, knowing he made elude to too much of the real reason why they had taken longer than they should have. She knew he didn't want to worry his brother or anything, but they were brothers. She was sure they told each other plenty of things.

"Well at least you made it back. Well bring the wood over here, we need to get this started." The two walked over and set their armfuls down. Once arranged into the proper orientation, Mako shot a small blast of fire at the twigs. They instantly ignited and began to crackle and burn, together creating a bigger flame.

Bolin sat close to the new fire and rubbed his hands together. "Ah, much better. Well, come sit guys. Nowhere else to go now."

Mako and Korra sat down around the fire with Bolin, sitting with a fairly good distance between the two.

"So what now?" Korra asked.

"Well," Bolin started as he dug into one of the bags. "We might as well eat some grub so we aren't going to sleep with empty stomachs." He grabbed out a few packaged things that he had thought to bring and passed them around to his teammates.

The fire cackled as the group ate. They were silent, all their attention was focused on the food, the fire, and the noises around them. The night was completely different than the day. The only noises present now were the wind whooshing through the area and the occasionally howl of an owl.

"So Korra, what was your childhood like?" Bolin asked, curious after what she had said earlier.

"It wasn't all bad, but it was sort of lonely. Once the White Lotus came and found that I was the Avatar, I was taken to their main base where I stayed for pretty much all of my childhood. Up until I came to Republic City, I hadn't been outside of the South Pole."

"So how did you learn earth and firebending?"

"They had masters come in and teach me. They wanted to keep me in a controlled area and a familiar area so that I could focus on what I was learning and not the new things around me."

"That does sound lonely," Mako said, speaking up as he continued to gaze at the fire. He knew what it was like to miss out on a childhood, but he had always had Bolin, so he was never truly alone.

"It was. That's why I was more than excited to come to Republic city. It wasn't just to learn airbending. I mean, that was my first priority, but I wanted to see the world, especially to see the place that Avatar Aang had created."

"I'd say you came to the right place. Republic City is definitely the center of advancements and culture."

Korra nods. "So what about you two?"

"What about us?" Mako asked.

"What was your childhood like?" Korra responded like it was a simple question. But when she saw the sullen looks that took over both of the brothers faces, she regretted her words. "Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot…"

"No, it's alright. It was hard, but we had each other. We kept one another going."

Mako didn't say a word. Korra understood though. After what he had said at the park a while ago to her, she knew that it was harder on him. He was the sole provider and adult figure for his younger brother, that couldn't have been an easy task.

Korra was suddenly possessed with a yawn, and out it came. Soon, the other two did so as well. "Well, maybe it's time we get some sleep. Just because we're camping doesn't mean we shouldn't rest."

Bolin nodded. "I agree with you, as always. The tent on the right is for you Korra."

Korra nodded and gave a small smile to the brothers. "Well, I'll see you guys in the morning. Goodnight."

Korra got up and walked over to her tent. Once inside, she noticed her bag and a folded up sleeping bag. She rolled it out and instantly got into it, ready to let sleep take over. As her thoughts began to receded and her eyes became less focused, the darkness of sleep took over.

* * *

"Korra! Korra, wake up!"

Korra felt her body being shaken through the material of the sleeping bag. As her eyes blinked open, she saw a frazzled and worried Bolin kneeling above her. "B-Bolin? What's going on?" She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes as she tried to wake up and seem somewhat alert.

"It's Mako, he's been taken!"

This woke her up immediately. "What? By who?"

"A group of chi-blockers were dragging him out of our tent. I heard him making noise and some rustling, but by the time I was fully awake and realizing what was going on, they had taken him."

Korra hurried out of her sleeping bag and ran out to Naga, with Bolin following behind. "We have to get going. They couldn't have gotten too far."

They both jumped onto the back of the polar bear dog as best as they could with their still half-asleep bodies. Korra led her over to Mako and Bolin's tent, where she sniffed around. Once Naga had a whiff of the unfamiliar scent of the chi-blockers, she was off. She ran as fast as she could while Korra guided her to keep them from getting too out of control and flying off. She was determined and focused though. They were going to find Mako, no matter what. A thought crept into Korra's mind, taking her back to something Bolin had said earlier. She sighed and muttered under her breath, "So much for a good first camping trip."


	4. Chapter 4

The cool night wind blew past Korra and Bolin as they rode through street after street within Republic City. Naga used the scent she had picked up earlier to find a trail to follow, but after a while it subsided and she was left with little whiffs of it here and there. Eventually she stopped and sniffed at the ground, but continued to stay in her place.

"Naga, what's wrong?"

Naga shook her head and sat down, unable to find a trace of the scent any more.

Korra sighed. "Great, now what? We have no clue where Mako is, he could be anywhere!"

"Let's just calm down and think about it."

Korra huffed and crossed her arms. After some thought, her face dramatically changed into a look of understanding. An idea had come to her. "Bolin, do you think they could've taken him to the same spot that you were taken?"

Bolin shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it's worth checking out."

Determination filled Korra as she took back Naga's reigns and pulled her up out of her slump. She started her off and directed her to the warehouse where Korra and Mako had gone to find Bolin. The same place where Korra first met her biggest enemy, Amon.

Korra stopped Naga at an alleyway that was about a block from the warehouse. She jumped down from her back, and Bolin followed her lead. Placing a hand on Naga's head, she said, "You stay here girl, we'll be back."

Korra left her companion behind as she started to make her way down the alleyway. She walked slowly, wanting to make sure no one was going to stop them or think they were being suspicious. They needed to get into the building without being seen, heard, or noticed. No one could know what they were up to.

"So what's the plan?" Bolin whispered to Korra. He was right behind her, following her footsteps. She was doing things so quickly he couldn't keep track of her thoughts, and was clueless as to what they were going to do once they got into the warehouse.

"I don't exactly know, but we need to get into that warehouse. We'll figure it out from there."

Bolin said nothing, but was not fully convinced by her lack of details. So many things could go wrong. Something was bound to go wrong. But, like her, he needed Mako back.

As they made their way through the alley and around the corner, they came to a stop. The warehouse was before them, looming over them, taunting them with its dirty walls.

"How are we going to get in?"

Korra looked around. Once she spotted a way to get in, she grabbed Bolin's hand and hurried off to the spot, towing him behind her. He stumbled a little, surprised by the sudden movement, but regained his footing and followed like before.

They winded their way up a staircase and around the upper patio. A ladder stood alone against a wall leading up to a landing on the roof. They climbed up it and now stood at the top of the building. They could see a lot of the city from up here, but there was no time to just stand around and admire it. Korra removed one of the windows with as little noise as she could and they hopped over the ledge it created. They landed down past the window and onto solid ground.

The two scanned the area around them. They were on the second level that overlooked the main room that Korra had been in before with Mako, where she first witnessed Amon. The inside smelled of dust and was dark, with very little light shining in. The warehouse didn't have many places to hide. It was just a big, open, empty space.

"Hey, over there, I remember them taking me to a back room." Bolin pointed to a spot behind the stage. Korra didn't see anything, but he knew better than she did. He bended some blocks of earth from the ground and made a staircase of stepping stones. They used these to make their way to the bottom level. From there, Bolin led Korra around the stage. There they found a narrow passageway that led them to a back room. "I'm pretty sure this is where they kept us."

Korra slowly paced the room, looking for another secret entrance or walk way that led to somewhere else. "There's nothing here, Bolin."

He sighed. "Well, I don't know. Maybe he isn't here after all."

Korra kicked the wall, suddenly furious. "Where else can we look? We're all out of places!"

The earthbender placed a hand gently on the Avatar's shoulder. "It'll be alright, we'll find him. There's got to be a clue somewhere."

Korra nodded, but as her worries started to fade, she felt Bolin's hand violently taken from her shoulder. She turned and saw two chi-blockers grabbing him and tying him up. As he started to shout something at her, they wrapped up his mouth, making him unable to speak. As Korra was going to jump in and help, she was taken back as well and was quickly tied up.

"Let me go!" She squirmed and jostled around as another group of chi-blockers bound her arms and legs together, and then covering her mouth and eyes, making her unable to view anything that was going on. She was then carried out of the building and to the outside. She shivered as the breeze hit her unexpectedly. She was dragged along the road and was then tossed into what she was assuming was the back of one of the Equalist trucks. She grunted as she hit the cool metal. She heard another thud land next to her, and figured that it was Bolin.

The truck roared to life and began to move along the road, making many turns and going over bumps, leaving the Avatar confused and unaware of where they were going. Time crawled by, it seemed as if it was moving slower than normal. After some unknown amount of time, the truck lurched to a stop. The doors creaked open and the two were thrown to the ground roughly, no care given to them at all.

"Don't bother looking for your friend. By the time you find him we'll have already taken what we want from him," said a low, steady voice, the voice of one of the chi-blockers. Korra felt her arms and legs become free from the confines of the rope, but before she could do anything, she was electrocuted in the back. The electricity that ran through her stung, pin-pointing her nerves, leaving her unable to do anything. Her body fell to the ground, her face scuffing against the dirt. She heard a muffled scream come from Bolin. And then everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5

Korra began to sit up, blinking open her eyes. This was made hard by the sunlight that was pouring out from behind the clouds that covered the sky. Once she realized that it was daytime again though, she instantly bolted up with a newfound energy. She searched around her, turning her head frantically. "Bolin?"

"Over here!" a voice called to her. It came from the area behind her. When looking directly back at it, she noticed Bolin sitting close to a tree, now making his way over to Korra. "I'm so glad to see you're finally awake."

"How long have we been out?"

"I don't know, but it must've been a while. If I'm correct, it's about noon."

Korra blinked her eyes a few times, continuing to look at Bolin. "Seriously? I didn't realize the chi-blockers could knock people out for that long."

Bolin sat down next to the Avatar and shrugged. "I dunno, it could've been because we didn't get much sleep and were exhausted from searching."

After Bolin finished his sentence, Korra was on her feet, and was practically dragging Bolin up to his as well. "Mako's still missing! We weren't able to find him!" Korra groaned and kicked at the ground. She was upset, they were supposed to find Mako last night, but instead they had let the chi-blockers get to them. "We still have no clue where he is either!"

Bolin reluctantly got up and placed a hand on Korra's shoulder, an attempt at calming her down. "Don't worry, we'll find him somehow."

"How, Bo? It wasn't like the warehouse or chi-blockers were any help."

"True, but I think a trip back to the city may give us a lead. Amon's followers tend to be loud-mouths."

Korra nodded, taking a few deep breaths as personal attempts at calming down. She needed to keep cool and have a level head if they were going to find their friend. Once settled, Korra looked to Bolin, who began leading the way back to the city.

While making their way back to Republic City, Korra scanned the landscape around them, taking it in for the first time since she had awoken. Last night she was electrocuted before she could get a good look at where the chi-blockers had taken them. Now she could tell that they were taken out of the city, but not too far. A couple trees surrounded them, along with other shrubbery. She assumed it was a part of some forest, but they weren't taken very deep into it, not as far as they had been in their original camping spot. They were close enough that they'd be able to make their way back to the city with ease. The chi-blockers didn't want them gone for good, they just needed them out of their way for the time being. Us snooping around was not in their plans.

Before Korra knew it, Bolin had guided them back to the city with little problems. He really knew his way around the area. It must've been a part of living here all his life. And with living on the streets, she was sure his brother and him moved around and explored a lot, on the hunt for food and such.

"So where to now?" Korra asked.

"Well, you said that you saw a protestor in Central Park a few times, right?"

"Yea, we used what he was saying to find you last time," Korra responded. Her face then lit up after she realized where Bolin was going with his question. "Maybe he could help us find out what Amon is up to, and where Mako may be!"

Bolin chuckled. "Well where'd you come up with an idea like that?"

Korra playfully rolled her eyes at him and made her way quickly to the park, knowing her way there easily. She had been there enough times now to know how to get to it.

As they got close to the park, they could faintly here a voice that was being projected through a megaphone. They walked over to a man who was standing on top of a crate and who was, indeed, holding a megaphone. Korra and Bolin joined the crowd that had gathered around the man, listening to his speech.

"Pro-bending. This is a sport that oppresses us non-benders! It's a mockery of the point of bending! Showing off your bending and attacking each other with it, what power does that instill into us non-benders?" the man spat out at the crowd. A few of the members of the crowd pumped their fists and cheered on the messenger, encouraging him to continue his rant. "Well, lucky for all of you, this is about to come to an end! Be sure to catch tonight's Pro-bending match, for it will be the last one this city will ever have to suffer through!" More cheers came from the crowd. Korra and Bolin looked at one another and knew that if they were seen they wouldn't be welcomed within the circle of bender haters. They backed up and turned around, making their way away from the man, who continued to shout the same things into his megaphone, informing everyone of Amon's upcoming plans.

"Bolin, this doesn't sound good. Do you think Mako and this Pro-bending scheme are connected?"

"I don't know, but we're not going to miss the match tonight."

Korra nodded, and the two made their way onto the main roads of the city. They didn't know what they would do until the match. Probably come up with a plan and regain their energy from the previous night. It sounded like they had a showdown coming up, and no one would miss it.

* * *

The arena was ablaze with lights, brightening the whole entire city. As Korra and Bolin made their way inside, they scurried around to the player's entrance. Once inside, they used their knowledge of the hallways and extra rooms to find one of the private seating areas for the players. Even though they didn't have a match tonight, they weren't worried about being here. If something was going to happen, they needed to be able to catch it right away and jump in to help.

They took their seats as the players went to the docks that would bring them to the arena in the center of the stadium. The announcer made comments about each team as they waved and smiled at their fans in the crowd. As they stepped onto the center platform and went to take their starting places, large cracks could be heard, and smoke soon filled the entire stadium.

Korra grabbed onto Bolin's arm so she didn't lose him. She coughed some as she inhaled the smoke. Her coughing ceased as the smoke began to vanish from the air. Korra and Bolin's eyes went straight to the arena, which was different now. Equalist and Revelation banners hung down from the sides, and in the middle stood Amon. He stood so calmly, with glory, like he knew no one could get to him or stop him from finishing his plans. Around him stood a tight group of chi-blockers, along with a group of seven people tied up on the ground. Six could be seen to be wearing their Pro-bending uniforms, and the other wasn't, but was easily the face of a popular Firebending Pro-bender.

Mako.


	6. Chapter 6

"Oh no," Korra said under her breath. It came out as a whisper as her shock took over. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. So this was what the protestor in the park had been talking about. Amon _had_ been planning something big for the Pro-bending tournament, and unfortunately it involved their friend. They knew they should be lucky it wasn't them, but they had no time to be thankful. They had to get in there and save their friend and the other Pro-benders.

"Friends and fans, I'm pleased to see you all tonight. You will all witness this event firsthand," Amon said into a microphone that he had been holding in his hand. His voice boomed through the stadium, calm and confident. "This city will be wiped of bending, starting with this group of Pro-benders.

"For years, bending has been used to not only torment non-benders on the streets, but also to harm benders in an arena. Using bending to hurt anyone, whether for sport or fun, should not be encouraged, and that is what this city is doing. This city is glorifying bending. That is what is wrong with this city and the power bending holds within it. That is why I am here. I am here to rid this city of its benders. Only then will we have a city where everyone can live as equals."

Korra and Bolin could only stare as Amon gave his speech. They still couldn't believe this was happening. If he could go to a stage this big and be proclaiming his ideals to the whole city, it could mean that he was growing stronger. He had the forces and ability to take control of the city, but only if he could dwindle down the amount of people who could fight back against him. They had to stop this. They couldn't let him manage to reduce the amount of benders that this city had.

Korra turned to Bolin. "Hold on to me," she said. He did so, and as soon as he had a good grip around her waist, she thrust her hands back, digging the earth up from the ground. The slabs of earth jutted out from the ground at an angle where their feet were, launching them to the center of the arena. They landed along the edge, behind Amon. He turned slightly as he heard the thud, and continued turning until he was facing the Avatar. The chi-blockers that surrounded him turned as well, ready to spring into action when Amon needed them.

"Well look who decided to join us. The Avatar," Amon said as he stared at her. He paid no attention to Bolin who was standing next to her. He only had eyes for the Avatar. If he could take her bending away tonight too, it would cause a big blow for this city in their fight against him. Plus it would show them all just how strong his power was. "Have you come to join in on your fellow benders' fate?"

Korra glared at Amon. "No, I'm here to put a stop to you. You aren't going through with this. I'll stop your plan."

He chuckled into the microphone. The gesture sent chills down Korra's spine. "What a touching thought, but I assure you, you won't get past me tonight."

Korra tried to think quick. She could see Mako and the other Pro-benders from behind Amon and his chain of chi-blockers, but she'd have to be fast if she hoped to get around them and to rescue the benders. She nudged Bolin in the side with her elbow and whispered, "I'll distract, you go get the others." As soon as she was done instructing him on her plan, she ran along the edge, bringing water up from below and bending it at the chi-blockers. They all followed her, in attempts to bring her down. _Perfect, _she thought as she saw Bolin run across around the other side and over to the captured group. The plus side to this event happening in the Pro-bending arena was that as a Pro-bender, Korra knew the arena well. She continued to bend water up from the holes, aiming ice daggers and water whips at the chi-blockers. She also bended the earth disks up, knocking them against the chi-blockers. A few fire blasts here and there and she was able to at least distract the chi-blockers long enough.

Beyond the group of chi-blockers, Korra could see Bolin untying the ropes that bound their arms and legs. As they were freed they each joined the battle alongside Korra, helping to take down the chi-blockers. With their help, they began to fall, one by one. They were strong, but not strong enough against the group that Korra had formed. Korra relaxed a little, but not before she felt a jab puncture her back and arms from behind. One chi-blocker had gotten away, and it had maneuvered its way around Korra, in the perfect position to take her down.

Korra fell to her knees as her arms went slack. She punched the air, trying to send out a burst of fire, but nothing appeared. One of the Pro-benders tossed a few earth disks at the stray chi-blocker, knocking him off of the arena. With their power, focus, and persistence, they had brought down all the chi-blockers. Korra looked around the staged arena, but she didn't see Amon. Her eyes circled the whole arena, looking through the stands to see if she could catch sight of the masked man, but she didn't see him. Everything pointed to the fact that Amon had been here; the knocked-out chi-blockers and the posters that still hung from the sides of the arena. But the leader of all of it had vanished.

Korra felt her arms being tugged upward. Her focus came back to where she was and looked to either of her sides, seeing Mako and Bolin helping her up. She leaned against Mako once she was off of the ground and looked around. There was little damage. They had escaped this on better terms. She looked between the brothers, worried. "Did either of you see Amon escape?"

They both shook their heads, looking around in response. They mustn't have noticed his absence until now either.

Korra sighed. "Oh well. At least everyone is safe."

Mako put a reassuring arm around Korra and looked between her and Bolin. "Thanks for saving me. If it wasn't for you guys, I may not have my bending right now."

Bolin smiled at his brother. "Hey, after you saved me, we couldn't let you risk what almost happened to me as well."

The group of Pro-benders walked up to the trio and stood around them. An earthbender in a green uniform stepped forward slightly. "Thank you," he said toward Bolin. "And thank you, Avatar Korra."

Korra smiled at the group. These were the moments that she enjoyed most about being Avatar. It was her duty to protect the people of the city, and knowing that she had prevented this catastrophe made her feel like she was doing a good job. As a bender, she thought plentifully about Amon's power, and she feared it. She had no clue what his plan entailed completely or what he was thinking. But she had to look past that fear in order to help everyone else who felt that same fear. Keeping Republic City safe was what she was here for, and as she looked between the two brothers, she couldn't have asked for a better set of teammates.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed this story! I have some more Korra fics and I plan on writing more in the future, so please check them out. Thank you for reading! ^_^**


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